Bible Commentaries

And Joash did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD all the days of ^a Jehoiada the priest.

(a) Who was a faithful counsellor and governed him by the word of God.

And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all ^b Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened [it] not.

(b) He does not mean the ten tribes but only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

And the king called for Jehoiada the ^c chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, [according to the commandment] of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?

(c) For he was the high priest.

For the sons of Athaliah, that ^d wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.

(d) The scriptures call her wicked because she was a cruel murderer and a blasphemous idolater.

Now it came to pass, that at what time ^e the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that [there was] much money, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

(e) Such as were faithful men whom the king had appointed for that matter.

And the king and ^f Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.

(f) Signifying that this was done by advise and counsel and not by any one man's desire.

And when they had finished [it], they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made ^g vessels for the house of the LORD, [even] vessels to minister, and to offer [withal], and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

(g) For the wicked kings, his predecessors and Athaliah had destroyed the vessels of the temple, or turned them to the use of their idols.

And they buried him in the city of David among the ^h kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.

(h) Signifying that they could not honour him too much, who had so excellently served in the work of the Lord, and in the affairs of the commonwealth.

Now after the death of Jehoiada came the ⁱ princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.

(i) Who were liars and knew now that the king was destitute of him who watched over him as a father, and therefore brought him to most vile idolatry.

Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they ^k testified against them: but they would not give ear.

(k) They took heaven and earth and all creatures to witness that unless they returned to the Lord, he would most grievously punish their infidelity and rebellion, (Nehemiah 9:26).

And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood ^l above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

(l) In a place above the people, to the intent that he might be heard.

And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the ^m commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

(m) There is no rage so cruel and beastly as of them whose hearts God has hardened, and who delight more in superstition and idolatry than in the true service of God and pure simplicity of his word.

Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD ⁿ look upon [it], and require [it].

(n) Avenge my death and require my blood at your hands: or he speaks this by prophecy because he knew that God would do it. This Zachariah is also called the son of Barachias, (Matthew 23:35) because his progenitors were Iddo, Berachiah, Jehoiada.

For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they ^o executed judgment against Joash.

(o) That is, reproved and checked him, and handled him rigorously.

And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the ^p sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.

(p) Meaning Zachariah, who was one of Jehoiada's sons and a prophet of the Lord.

Now [concerning] his sons, and the greatness of the burdens [laid] upon him, and the ^r repairing of the house of God, behold, they [are] written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

(r) Or, foundation.